Clinton
Township Real Estate - Macomb County, Michigan
Homes, Condominiums, Real Estate... in Clinton Township,
Michigan
The History of Clinton
Township Michigan
It was in October 1781 that the
British commandant at Detroit, Major DePeyster sent for the missionaries
at Schoebrun (Ohio) to answer the charges against them of being sympathetic to
the American cause. After much questioning they were vindicated. In July, 1782
DePeyster provided the Moravian Missionaries with provisions and obtained a
parcel of land on the Huron River from the Chippewa Indians for use until
the war between England and the colonies was over. (the Indians and French had
called this river, the “Nottawasippe”.
The English called it the Huron
of St. Clair. Now it is called the Clinton River in honor of the
former governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton.
David Zeisberger and his
followers founded the first settlement in Clinton Township. He described
the site of “New Gnadenhutten” in his diary on, [July] 21, [1782]: "In the
evening, we came to the place appointed for use to settle in, and encamped, but
were welcomed by mosquitoes and so badly treated that we had little rest,
although we made a fire round about us, so that the air was filled with smoke
and steam. Thus far we have found no place satisfactory to use, for all the land
we have seen is too low, swampy, and exposed to overflow, though we landed
several times and examined several places. Besides we did not dare to settle
within a distance of eight miles from the lake, for the land both sides of the
river belongs to some Detroit merchants. We examined the 22d, [July, 1782]
further up the creek, and found on the south side of the river a fine place to
lay out a town on a height, not inferior to that at Schönbrunn [Ohio] and it has
the same slope, according to the compass, and the course of the river, which
Schönbrunn had."
Tuesday, [July] 23 [1782]: "We
found many traces that a long time ago an Indian town must have stoodon this
place, for we saw many holes in the ground, which were now indeed filled up, but
quite recognizable, in which Indians have even now the custom of keeping their
corn and other property."
Zeisberger also mentions the
arrival of " Brother Conner" on Tuesday, March 25, 1783, "to build himself [and
his family] a house." Conner was the only white man ever allowed to live with
the Moravians and seems to have taken up residence simultaneously with William
Tucker. Zeisberger describes Tucker on May 2, 1783, as "a white man, our
neighbor, who settled several weeks ago on this river below us."
There was little food for
either the Moravians or Chippewas, who resented having to share their hunting
grounds and especially with Christianized Indians. The settlement at Detroit was
also in severe want during the spring and summer of 1784, and the people had to
live mainly on weeds, which they cooked. The problems with the wolves increased
and many cattle were lost. The only animals taken in hunting were raccoons. This
famine, which had been preceded by three years of hunger, did not end until the
bountiful harvest of September 1784.
Despite the harvest, the
Chippewas continued to voice their discontent that the Moravians were living on
their lands. After much consideration, the Moravians determined to remove in the
spring of 1785, although they were afraid that they must always live as pilgrims
if New Gnadenhütten could not remain a permanent settlement. The black belt of
war was passed among the Indian nations during the summer of 1785, and the
Moravians decided to remain at New Gnadenhütten a while longer. A map made by
David Zeisberger shows 29 cabins and a large meeting house or chapel at the
Moravian Settlement.
On March 4, 1786, three years
after the end of the Revolutionary War (when the English should have left
Detroit), Major Ancrum, the new English commander at Detroit, and John Askins, a
loyal English merchant, "each of whom had a grant from the king of 2,000 acres,
[and] wished to have it taken up here for them" bought the Moravian settlement.
New Gnadenhütten had been much admired for several years by surprised visitors,
mostly from Detroit.
The Moravians left New
Gnadenhütten on Thursday 20 [April, 1786]: "After we had early, for the last
time, assembled in our chapel, we loaded our canoes, and all went away together
in the afternoon.
None of us remained behind,
save Conner's family, who himself knew not whither to go, nor what to do." The
Chippewas did not agitate for the removal of the Conner family. Certainly the
entire family had a special knowledge of Indian customs and dialects. Richard
Conner, who was born about 1718 in Maryland, was 68 years old when the Moravians
departed. His wife, Margaret, had been captured by Indians at the age of four.
Conner had bought her freedom and then made her his wife, no doubt considering
her suitability to the life he led as a trader and interpreter among the
Indians. As part of the bargain, according to tradition, the Conners were
obliged to give their first-born child, James, to the Indians. Several years
later they were able to redeem him. Their son, Henry, was later highly respected
and influential among the Indians. Their daughter, Susanna, may have been the
first child of English-speaking parents to be born in Macomb County. In 1807,
she married Elisha Harrington, who had settled in the neighborhood the year
before. Richard Conner lived at the Moravian site until his death April 17,
1808.
During the War of 1812 the
British, seeking revenge, offered the Indians $5 per American scalp. The
settlers sought safety in the fort at Detroit. Upon their return to the Moravian
site, they found burnt buildings and much desolation. Elisha Harrington, after
serving in the War of 1812, with his wife built a large house near the Moravian
site. Displays of the house can be seen in the Moravian Hall Museum. Chief
Justice Christian Clemens appointed Elisha associate judge around 1819. Elisha
and Susan lived in the house until their deaths in 1847 and 1848.
By 1818 the Moravian Settlement
was now known as the Village of Frederick (at first it was called Casino) and
contained twenty families. Its main streets were Livingston, Shelby and
Harrington.
There was a hotel, several
mills, a blacksmith, and a cooper (barrel maker) In 1843 Frederick was a busier
place than even High Banks (later called Mount Clemens). The area was a private
claim given to the heirs of Richard and James Conner. James, William, John and
Henry gave their interest to Susannah and Elisha. After the peace of 1815, the
Indians never made war again upon the settlers.
The Moravian Site also had a
small clearing and burial spot and even today Indians will visit the area to
honor their ancestors. In 1818 Macomb County was created a court system was
formed for the
Michigan Territory. In 1827 the
Clinton Township was much larger than today and encompassed what later became
Warren and Erin Townships.
In 1837 Michigan became a
state.
Clinton Township was named for
the Clinton River when it was renamed at the first meeting of the state
legislature.
The Erie Canal was completed in
1825. Now it was possible to ship goods and people from the east coast to any
place on the Great Lakes. Transportation was difficult in southern Michigan due
to the wide expanse of marshland. A canal across Michigan seemed to be a logical
endeavor, due to the success of the Erie Canal. On April 12, 1827 the Clinton
River Navigation Company was formed and planed to build a canal from Frederick
to Lake Michigan, utilizing the waters of the Clinton and Kalamazoo Rivers.
Public Act #27declared 500,000 acres of land was to be sold to provide funds to
build locks on the Clinton River at the Village of Frederick.
The Canal was completed from
Frederick to the Village of Rochester. By 1850 it was abandoned as a result of
increased dependence on rail transportation.
Sections of land in the
township were given to veterans of early wars of our country. During the yearly
development of Macomb County, lumbering was the major attraction. This area of
the state was very heavily wooded with many hardwood varieties. After the
lumbering had cleared much of the land, farming became the major occupation of
the settlers. Along the banks for the Clinton River were many sawmills and
gristmills.
There were several towns in
Clinton Township. Frederick, Marcellus(1838), Quinn (1816-1873) and Cady’s
Corner (1864-1906) are now history.
The Detroit Creamery chapter of
the township history stared on the property of Emery Trufant who came in the 16
Mile/Gratiot area 1825. Trufant was a farmer and after his death, John Trufant
inherited the property. John was in real estate and railroads and sold the
property to the Detroit Creamery in 1905. This venture grew and later acquired
the Engleside Farm in 1915 and a cooperativeof other farms along Moravian and
Nunneley. In the 1940’s it was bought by Twin Pines Dairy. Lots of people still
remember the chicken dinners served at their large restaurant. By 1963 its hey
day was over. In 1943, during WWII, Paul Weiss, proprietor for the Mount Clemens
Rose Gardens (Cass and Clinton River Road) petitioned the Federal Government for
permission to relocate Japanese-American Citizens who were interned in camps.
They worked and lived at the Rose Gardens. While here they formed a baseball
team and won the league championship in 1947. These actions helped foster
increased community cohesiveness between the two cultures. To this day the Weiss
family enjoys a friendship of those employees and their descendents who have
since moved back to the California. Our area had been the largest producer of
roses in the state since the 1920’s.
Now imported roses dominate the
market. Clinton township has many old cemeteries, some dating back to the early
1800’s. In each lie people who played a part in developing the area along with
many historical figures. In the Clinton Grove Cemetery there is a veteran buried
from every war this country has ever fought. A leisure walk through any of them
is like taking a step back into history. Each marker has its own unique story.
Clinton Township is the largest
township in the state with nearly 100,000 people. The township offices, the
Clinton Macomb Public Library, the Senior Center, the Historical Village, and
athletic fields are all located on land adjacent to the Old Clinton and
Kalamazoo Canal. There are gardens, a fishing pond, a sledding hill and gazebo
that make a beautiful setting for summer concerts and weddings. All of these
make Clinton Township a nice place to live.
| 
